Former First Lady Michelle Obama has shared her thoughts on her daughter Malia’s decision to omit the Obama surname in her first film project.
Speaking on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast this week, Michelle emphasized the importance of her daughters, Malia (26) and Sasha (23), earning their accomplishments through hard work rather than relying on their famous family name.
“It’s important to them that people see the work they put in,” Michelle said. “They don’t want anyone to think they’re being handed opportunities—they’re very aware of that.”
She recalled how Malia, who recently began working in film, chose to use only her first and middle names—“Malia Ann”—in the credits for her 2023 short film The Heart. “We told her, ‘They’ll still know it’s you, Malia,’” Michelle said with a laugh. “But we respected her decision to forge her own path.”
Joined by her brother Craig Robinson in the interview, Michelle said her daughters have grown to understand and embrace the values she and former President Obama tried to instill in them. “They want to be their own people,” she said, adding that now, as young adults, “they understand why we parented the way we did.”
Reflecting on their time growing up in the White House, Michelle noted that Malia and Sasha never wanted to be treated like “little princesses.” “They wanted freedom. They wanted to take risks, explore, and be part of the real world,” she said. “And I knew, given the spotlight they were under, they needed a bit more leeway than I probably would’ve gotten from my own mother.”
